I quickly spun around ready to strike down any monster that had dare interrupt Tifa at such and important moment. What I saw made me re-taste my breakfast a little. A body in a blue uniform was hanging by a rafter soaked in blood. It also seemed to be disemboweled at one point. I turned away from the sight as I heard Tifa retching. "Tifa are you ok?", I asked concerned walking up to her. She spit some removing what was left of her breakfast from her mouth. She avoided looking in my direction to not vomit again.
"Cut it down Cloud! It's making me sick!", she pleaded. She seemed on the verge of vomiting again. I approached the body and cut the rope. I moved the body to the side.
"Tifa it's ok. You can look now.", I said walking to her.
"Who would do something like that Cloud?", Tifa asked fearfully. She was shaking a little. "We got to find out who did this!", she said. I just nodded in response. We cautiously walked into the upper city of Junon. Upon seeing the buildings memories came back.
I was 13 just arrived here to train for SOLDIER so I could win Tifa's heart. The group that hung out with her were there as well. Even Rex, although at the time his hair and eyes were brown instead of silver hair and Mako green eyes. We all exchanged glances once we got there and knew we were all after the same thing. It was going to be a long three years.
The end of the first month we had a pop drill quiz. I passed with flying colors, Tifa's old friend Tom was teamed up with me. That day was good, not only did I clenched a place in SOLDIER train, Tom and I became good friends and I learned Tom was after glory not Tifa in SOLDIER. Rex and Chad were teammates for the quiz. As me and Tom breathlessly waited for their returned were shocked to find Rex by himself. Chad 'accidentally' broken his leg when no one could see them near the end of the drill. The whole affair smelled bad. Tom and I visited Chad to boost his spirits. He didn't mind failing. "I never wanted this anyways.", he told us. "It was my Father's last wish to at least try. I come from a long line of soldiers of the elite status.", he never did tell us if Rex wrecked him on purpose.
Two years later Tom caught an illness that made him unable to join SOLDIER. Ironically Rex needed one person to quit to be able to continue training. By now Tom, Chad, and myself separated from Rex, we started to hate him for his sleazily tactics.
The final test and I would join SOLDIER! If only Tifa had been here to see me in the glorious competition. I was going to send her a letter that night when I passed to let her know I joined and was going to be in Nibelhelm for one week's leave. I might finally get her attention, maybe even her love. A perfect ending!
Plans usually change…
The big day. The start of a ten hour endurance obstacle course. We all lined up at the starting line. A new friend Zack was next to me. His black hair was similar to shape as mine and our bodies differed very little, kinda like a long-lost brother or cousin. "Good luck Cloud.", he said offering his hand to me. I shook it.
"Who knows Zack, maybe we'll both become war heroes by the end of this.", I said.
"GO!", the instructor shouted and we headed off to go through this man-made Hell……
Nine hours, thirty-seven minutes and untold seconds later I was at the Wall. An obstacle with only one purpose--to break your body and spirit. It would take three minutes to go over it if you were in a good enough condition. Then a twenty minute mad dash to the end of the course was be your only challenge to face. I was only a few more climbs away from reaching the top, jumping down and running like Hell to victory when, "Cloud! Help me! I'm going to fall!", Rex's voice echoed from below. I looked down and Rex Prospero looked right at me with fear his hand ready to let go of the Wall. We saw this happen to a kid before. He severed his spinal cord and died on the spot. As much as I hated Rex I could not let his death rest on my conscious. I reached to help him up. The heavy rain made everything slippery. As soon as I had a firm grip on his hand and about to pull him to safety I felt gravity take control of me. Then a splash of mud. Then intense pain in my right arm. Finally Rex's voice in a sneer of 'Sucker' as he took my away all I had worked so hard for. My right arm so fixed itself but my pride might have never really recovered. That night the letter I had ready was only used to kindle a fire. The only glory was joining Tom and Chad in the ranks of grunts. The only sleep I got that night was plagued with nightmares of Tifa turning away from me forever…
I felt a hand pull me from my dream into an ally. "Cloud what are you doing?", Tifa asked in a harsh whisper. "You almost got caught!", she ended pointing over the corner. There was a group of third Ranked SOLDIERS there surrounding a oil drum on fire chanting something. It was a name. I recognized it immediately! Prospero. They were chanting his name. "Damn it! Cloud's there's too many to go through. We have to find a way around…", Tifa said to me.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught a mass of black hair. Zack? He was ushering me towards a smaller ally. "Cloud this way.", he said. I followed him.
"Tifa come on.", I told her. She looked at me and followed silently. I followed the small passage way until we reached a series of small rooms.
"I'll check to see if the other rooms are clear.", Tifa said. I nodded. As she left my eyes drifted to a single rose in a glass of water. Then a hand with a gold bracelet grabbed the rose a lifted it up. The hand drew it to a face of a young woman. Twenty two possibly. She had emerald green eyes, light-brown hair in a braided pony-tail the reached to her thighs, a pink bow on her head with a piece of Materia on it. A small red jacket and a pink button-up dress. She seemed so familiar. She sniffed the rose.
"It's been a little over three years hasn't it Cloud?", she said. "How have you been?", she asked with a smile and put the rose in a wicker basket full of flowers. 'You know when we first met I thought you were just like him… Then it happened and I learned the truth Cloud. If only Tifa would……", she was cut off by Tifa.
"Cloud I think someone else is here!", she said and I looked at her. "What were you doing Cloud?", she asked. I looked back at the flower girl. She was gone ad the rose was back in it's cup. The cup was dry and the rose withered, black, and dead.
"N-n-nothing Tifa.", I said.
Tifa sighed, "You're a weird one Cloud." She shook her head, "Come on lets try to find whoever else is in here."
"Ok.", I said. Tifa left and I followed. I took back one look at the rose. It and the cup was gone! A pink bow was left. I shook my head in disbelief. I looked again and the rose and the cup had returned.
We had been sneaking around Junon Base for a few hours. We entered a corridor and out of a door a body of a SOLDIER member flew through it. Tifa and I stared in shock. A man came walking out of the door. He wore a purple suit similar to my old one. He had a red cape. Gloves, the left one had gold claws at the end. His left upper arm had a guard on it and he had a buster blade as well. It was wrapped up in wore bandages. He had blonde flat top hair and a goatee. He looked right at us.
"Well I'll be.", he said in an old voice. He looked to be forty-five, "Cloud it's has been ages."
"Who are you and how do you know me?", I demanded looking into his blue eyes. They seem so familiar, like I've seen them before.
"Well I guess you have the right to ask since it's been so long Cloud.", he continued.
"Cloud it's me. I'm your father.", he said.
My jaw dropped.
Please Review and let me know what you think! Also please visit http/ review the story there. It's one I'm going to be working on too.